The grand bull pen : confederate captives at Point Lookout /

Abstract

Constructed on the tip of the peninsula where the Potomac River joins the Chesapeake Bay, Point Lookout, Maryland served as the Union's largest prisoner of war camp for Confederate soldiers during the Civil War. During the two years of its existence, from July 1863, to June 1865, Point Lookout overflowed with inmates, surpassing its intended capacity of 10,000 to a population that at one point reached well over 20,000 captives. In all, over 50,000 men, both military and civilian, were held there. Prisoners, who sometimes lived sixteen or more to a tent, were subjected to habitually short rations, limited firewood in winter, and often inexperienced and trigger-happy guards. Further exacerbating the problems, in 1864 Federal authorities decided to cut the ration and clothing allowance to rebel captives throughout the North in retaliation for alleged mistreatment and torture of Union captives in the South. Physical attributes also tormented prisoners. The flat topography of the area resulted in frequent flooding of the stockade, and captives were subjected to every extreme of weather, from blazing heat to bone-chilling cold. Polluted water, the greatest cause of illness in the camp, combined with inadequate food, clothing, fuel, housing, and medical care, resulted in the death of approximately 4,000 prisoners over a two-year period. This study, based primarily on official records, newspapers, and prisoners' diaries and letters, investigates the daily operation of the "Bull Pen," as prisoners dubbed the camp, and sheds light on the actual conditions experienced by captives held at Point Lookout. The camp administration, including the several commandants who served during the war, and the various guard units assigned to the prison and their reactions towards the prisoners are examined in detail. Answers are sought as to why conditions deteriorated to the point that 4,000 men died, who held ultimate responsibility for the conditions in the camp, and if anything could have been done to improve the living standards of captives and was not. The main thrust is to determine reality from exaggeration and offer an objective appraisal of camp life. Undoubtedly, poor conditions sometimes prevailed in the camp, though not as appalling as many Confederates later recalled, and certainly not as pleasant as many Northern officials wished others to believe.